Check It Out: A Piece of the World

Today, I am recommending A Piece of the World, by Christina Baker Kline—a novel of historical fiction that imagines, through extensive research, the life of Anna Christina Olson—the subject of the painting Christina’s World by artist Andrew Wyeth. This mysterious painting—of a young woman in a field, looking off into the distance towards a stark wood-framed house—has been a part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection since 1949, and has become one of the most recognized images of American Art.

Christina, as she was known, grew up on a seaside farm in South Cushing, Maine. She was struck by a mysterious and degenerative illness at the age of three that made it almost impossible for her to walk. Despite her infirmities, she attended school and had hopes of becoming a teacher, but because of her ailing parents and duty to her family, her father made her quit school to help run the household.

In this novel, Kline vividly details the day-to-day struggles of living in rural Maine without electricity—a challenge for any able-bodied person, and harshly unforgiving to Christina’s condition. Along with her brother, Alvaro—who gave up his own dreams to run the family farm, Christina never moved away from her family home.

At the age of 46, Christina met artist Andrew Wyeth through her friendship with his wife, Betsy--who had become one of Christina’s only friends. Visiting the Olson home daily during the summers, he set up a studio in an upstairs room, and saw in Christina—without pity, what others in her life hadn’t—a stubborn and determined woman of indomitable spirit.

Check out A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline and other character-driven novels like it at the Sioux City Public Library.

Are you a fan of contemporary humor? Do you enjoy the zing of Steve Martin, the wit of Woody Allen, and the audacity of David Sedaris? If so, I recommend you pick up One More Thing: stories and other stories by B.J. Novak.

You might be thinking, B.J. Novak--that name sounds familiar--and it should. B. J. Novak is best known as the Emmy-winning writer, actor, director and executive producer of the hit TV series, The Office.

Sometimes, I feel like books find me, rather than the other way around. This was the case with the book I am recommending today: Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People by Nadia Bolz-Weber.

I love Audiobooks. Having someone read me a story, even as an adult, is one of my favorite things. I suggest you check out City of Thieves by David Benioff and narrated by Golden Globe winning actor Ron Perlman.

[David Benioff is an American novelist, screenwriter, producer, and co-creator of the HBO series Game of Thrones. City of Thieves is a novel based on his grandfather’s stories about surviving World War II in Russia.]

Imagine that a global pandemic has wiped out most of civilization as we know it. Who struggles the most in this world to adapt to a new way of life? Those survivors who remember what life was like before the pandemic—or those who have not experienced the beauty of civilization through art and culture? What is worth saving when the world has lost so much? These ideas are explored in the lyrical and compelling Science Fiction novel, Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel.

Rural noir—it’s a thing. Sometimes called country noir, hillbilly noir, or even “hick lit”, these are stories of everyday people and the struggles they face in the harsh realities of rural life. Often gritty and heart wrenching, these complex novels seek out the universal truths that connect our human experience, evoking a variety of emotions for the reader. Today, I am recommending a book that has become a classic of this writing style—Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell.